The Travels of Ibn Battutah
BY TIM MACKINTOSH-SMITH
Picador, R302 (takealot.com)
In 1325, aged 21, Ibn Battutah set off from his hometown of Tangier, in Morocco, on his pilgrimage to Mecca. The (Travels). This is that book. It's a great story, full of adventure, beautifully told - at the sultan's request, Ibn Battutah dictated his reminiscences to Ibn Juzayy. Britannica writes that 'he embellished the simple prose of Ibn Battuta with an ornate style and fragments of poetry'. The writing takes you on the journey alongside him, and you come to know and love him as a person, a friend. This translation is clear and accessible, which adds to the delight. It's also a documentary, with lasting historical and geographical significance that explores the social, cultural and political history of a great part of the Muslim world.
